i'm certain if this is not good enough for the white house, we will go over the fiscal cliff because this is a compromise on taxes. this is a compromise on mandatory spending and it's a compromise on discretionary spending over what the select committee had debated. >> the details if we can and i should mention that erskine bowles put out a statement saying this -- does not represent the bowles-simpson plan, nor is it the bowles plan. in my testimony before the joint select committee on deficit reduction, i simply took the midpoint of the public offers to demonstrate where i thought a deal could be reached at the time. he's very much backing away from speaking boehner's letter, but the question i wanted the to ask you -- >> can we spend one more point on that? >> of course. >> what did he say? that was the midpoint of a compromise from the two. so, here's speaker boehner who is taking a new point on the compromise between the two sides and offered it and it's already flatly rejected? >> i think what he might be rejecting, sir, if i may -- >> no, i'm not talking abo about erskine bowl